All posts tagged Spanish revolution

Spanish authorities said late Thursday the ongoing youth protests in Madrid and other Spanish cities must stop at midnight Friday so they won’t influence key local elections to be held Sunday. Protesters have already vowed to ignore the order and go on with their rallies and sit-ins, and may become an unexpected factor in the polls.

In the modern fashion, the protests are being coordinated over social networks. A Facebook page set up by the Platform for Real Democracy has been requesting slogans to chant during the rallies.

Below there’s an explanation of some of the most significant ones, that may shed some light on the demands and plans of these activists. Following the Spanish tradition, the slogans rhyme, but the poetry is lost in translation:

“Millions of unemployed, none of them idle.” This slogan goes to the core of the protest. Spain has 4.9 million unemployed, 21.3% of the working population, and the danger of a mass backlash against this situation has been a continued concern among the country’s policymakers. There’s another possible reading; Spain’s “hidden economy,” untaxed and unregistered, is helping a percentage of those get along for now.

“The people, together, doesn’t need political parties.” One of the reasons for the relative success of this movement is its non-mainstream political appeal to the youth. In the tent city in Madrid’s downtown, the core of the protest, there is a significant absence of any stickers and symbols related to any particular party—and much scorn against candidates for office who have pending corruption cases.